antique prints, maps and watercolors

(The Wild Thyme Fairy) Barker, Cecily Mary. Flower Fairies. London 1920. $65.00

click for detailed image BarkerWildThymeFairy.JPG

“The Wild Thyme Fairy”

Cecily Mary Barker was an artist and illustrator of children's books. She was beloved by legions of children who read and collected her small books on Flower Fairies. Born in Surrey England in 1895, Barker was sickly as a child, and overprotected by an adoring family. She loved to draw and excelled at it, especially charming illustrations of fairies. Fairies and their actual existence were a cultural phenomenon in England at the time. The harsh realities of Industrial England in the early 20th century created a yearning for more innocent times, and the existence of fairies harkened back to the "good old days."
Photo-lithograph.
7 1/4" x 5 1/2" sheet size.
Excellent condition.